Categories
Trips

Snow, Sunshine, and Scottish Kayaking: An Easter Adventure

Two years ago, Tom and I got married on the Etive over Easter, and we’ve made it our tradition to have an adventure week every year to celebrate. This time, the Macken family invited us to join PaddlePlus for their club trip to Scotland. We’ve known Dean for years and his daughter Sophie is a Palm Grom so we’ve spent a lot of time together because of this.

Outside of University kayaking, my experiences of paddling with a club is limited. The trip turned out to be a very different kind of adventure to our usual ones. One that involved a much bigger group and therefore more faff, but also one that was full of warmth and laughter. Here’s the story of our week in the Highlands!

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General

So you want to be a sponsored kayaker? Read this first!

‘How can I become a sponsored kayaker?’ is a question I’m asked often, and one I always hesitate to answer. Not because I don’t want to help, but because the honest answer is rarely the one people hope for.

After years of hearing this question from paddlers of all ages, I’ve spent a long time thinking about what sponsorship really means in our sport. I don’t work for any kayaking brand, and I’m certainly not the person who decides who gets sponsored! What I do have is years of being deeply involved in our community and having the opportunity to make a number of observations.

This blog isn’t a guide to getting free gear. It’s an exploration of why sponsorship exists, what it looks like in a niche sport like ours, and some honest reflections that might help you decide whether it’s something you truly want to pursue.

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Trips

Returning to the Kaituna – Christmas in New Zealand

New Zealand has and will always have a special place in my heart. When I was 20 years old, I lived there for a year. It was a life changing experience and part of that experience was taking up white water kayaking. My passion for white water stayed with me and has become a key part of who I am today.

Since returning to the UK, I have dreamed of returning to New Zealand and especially to the Kaituna river. This Christmas, my husband and I finally made the trip back. It wasn’t a kayaking-specific holiday, but we still squeezed in plenty of river time alongside other adventures, and reunions with old friends.

This article is here to tell you all about the kayaking side of those adventures!

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events

Little Kayaks, Big Dreams: Inside Park Jam 2025 – Part 2

Welcome back to my second article about the 2025 Palm and Pyranha Park Jam events. If you haven’t already read my first article about Park Jam – you can find it here. This article will be covering the second weekend of Park Jam at Tees Barrage and Cardiff white water centres. Enjoy!

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Categories
events

Little Kayaks, Big Dreams: Inside Park Jam 2025 – Part 1

The Palm and Pyranha Park Jam returned this October, bringing kayakers together from across the UK over two weekends. Team paddlers from both Pyranha and Palm, as well as special guests visited white water courses across the UK. The aim of the Park Jam series is for young kayakers to be given the opportunity to meet and paddle with team paddlers and hopefully leave the event feeling inspired.

The Park Jam series started with Bren Orton where it used to be called ‘Bren’s Park Jam’ until he requested it be changed because he saw it as bigger than himself. Although Bren is no longer with us, his legacy is continued through Park Jam and that is beautiful. The positive and long lasting impact that these events have on people can not be underestimated. Many of the kids who come to Park Jam have attended for years now and it is incredible to see how much progression they have made every year.

It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in Park Jam 2025 and here is my account to tell you all about it.

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Categories
Mind set

ADHD in White Water Kayaking: The Positives and the Challenges

You scout the rapid, you get back in your kayak and wait to be signalled down. You look up and get mesmerised by how beautiful the leaves of the tree above you look in the autumn light. Suddenly a whistle blows and you are brought back into reality. It is time for you to leave the eddy, but you cannot remember the line you just scouted. Feelings of embarrassment and frustration well up. You don’t know whether you should you admit you’ve already forgotten the line or just go down the rapid and hope for the best. Does this scene sound familiar?

October is ADHD Awareness Month. Like many adventure sports, white water kayaking attracts a high number of people who are neurodivergent. Whether they are diagnosed or not, paddlers who show traits of ADHD may struggle with attention, impulsivity, managing emotions and more whilst out paddling.

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Categories
events Freestyle

My Euro Open 2025 – from behind the scenes!

At the end of August, Holme Pierrepont in Nottingham came alive with the splash and spirit of the 2025 Euro Open – a beloved freestyle kayaking event that’s been a key date in the paddling calendar for years. This year was extra special: not only did we host the British Freestyle Championships alongside a whole range of fun novice events, but we also welcomed the Euro Cup, drawing a vibrant crowd of international paddlers from across Europe.

Since River Legacy and GB Freestyle took over the reins from James Ibbotson last year, my husband Tom and I, alongside a brilliant team of committed friends, have poured our hearts into organising this event. This blog is my personal reflection on the weekend: part organiser, part participant, and full time enthusiast of any event that brings people together over their shared love of kayaking. I hope this article brings a smile, a memory, or maybe even a spark of inspiration. Please do share your own favourite Euro Open moments in the comments!

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events Trips

Surf, Slalom and Shooting Stars: The Palm Groms Big Weekend

Over the August bank holiday weekend, a group of young paddlers travelled across the UK and beyond to come together and live their best lives in South Wales. These paddlers were hand picked to attend the first official Palm Groms get together. Over 5 days, they tried slalom for the first time, surfed the infamous Bitches tidal rapids, and bonded as a group of young people united by their passion for kayaking.

I was lucky enough to be involved in this get together and saw first hand just how special this group is and also how transformative the experience was for them. This article introduces the newest Palm Groms and recaps a get together that made waves in every sense.

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General

5 Reasons to Join the Kayaking Club When You Go to University

Thousands of students are currently preparing for their next big adventure: going to university. If you are one of them, you might be wondering how it is you might find your people, your passion, and your place during your time at university. This article is a recommendation from me to you to join your university’s kayaking club!

Whilst taking a year out to study abroad in New Zealand at Auckland University, I joined Auckland University Canoe Club. It changed my life for the better and I haven’t looked back since. At 20 years old, I found my passion and my place in this world. I made lifelong friends and finally found a community where I belonged. I was always be eternally grateful to the beautiful people I met through this club.

Whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned paddler, I’ve written this article to persuade you why joining your university kayaking club could be the best decision you make this September.

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Categories
Trips

A 2025 Summer kayaking adventure in Austria

After a brilliant kayaking trip to the French Alps in May, I was already dreaming of another adventure. I sent a message to the various kayaking group chats I was in asking if anyone was keen for another trip this Summer and received a reply from my friend Joe ‘Someone’s been back at work for half a day 😂’.

Luckily I also had a few other replies and by August, six of us were off to Austria for a week of alpine kayaking. This is my article to tell you all about it!

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